Cardinal Newman goalkeeper Timmy Cunningham dives back to stop a sure goal from A.C. Flora’s Alex Richards (l). On Senior Night, three juniors made the difference in Cardinal Newman’s 3–0 win over A. C. Flora on Monday, April 26, 2010. Jono Cleary and Kyle Maitland scored in the second half to extend the lead, and Timmy Cunningham turned away 15 shots to keep the Falcons at bay.

The tone for Senior Night was set at the beginning when senior Zach Hrovat, who has been sidelined all year by an injury from basketball season, opened the game with the kickoff before being substituted for and embraced by coach Will Eudy and the entire team. Even though he has not been able to participate, Hrovat was diligently at every practice and game lending his knowledge and insight to all the players. Very few eyes were dry in the Cardinal Newman stands.

The Falcons had the first scoring chance, though, and looked to be ahead until Cunningham reached behind himself when sliding to stop a shot by Alex Richards in the seventh minute. A minute later, senior Andrew Fuller received a pass, turned, and shot the ball past A.C. Flora keeper Jareth Gonzalez to give the SCISA Region I–AAA champion Cardinals a 1–0 lead.

A.C. Flora’s Braxton Taylor tries to get the ball by CN’s Marshall Keenan. Richards sent a crossing pass through the goal mouth in the 18th minute, but no one could get to it before it went out. In the 29th minute, Lee Knudsen headed a shot off a Flora throw–in, but Cunningham got a hand on it, and Nick O’Rourke cleared it out.

In the 39th minute, Cunningham had to make two saves from point– blank range to keep the score 1–0 in favor of Cardinal Newman at the half.

In the 42nd minute, Fuller almost scored his second goal, but his shot, off a pass from O’Rourke, went just wide. But Cleary put the ball past Flora keeper Steven Dean in the 47th minute to make it 2–0, and in the 58th minute, Maitland took a Falcon turnover and turned it into a Cardinal goal beating Dean low to get the final tally.

Cardinal Newman’s Nick O’Rourke heads the ball over A.C. Flora’s Trevor Moreland. Jordan Floyd and Richards had chances in the second half, but both were denied by Cunningham.

Cardinal Newman (17–5, 9–0) travels to St. Joseph’s in Greenville Wednesday, April 28, 2010, with a chance to complete an undefeated region season. Then the Cardinals will battle #2 ranked 4A powerhouse Northwestern, April 29, before heading into the SCISA 3A playoffs.

The Falcons (6–6, 5–2) travel to Sumter April 28, then finish region play with home matches against Chester, April 30, and Lugoff–Elgin, May 4. They are currently a game ahead of Lugoff–Elgin for second place in Region IV–3A behind first place Chapin.